He received the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for "Jessie's Girl", which proved to be a career breakout moment. He followed with four more top 10 U.S. rock hits: "I've Done Everything for You", "Don't Talk to Strangers", "Affair of the Heart", and "Love Somebody". His two U.S. top 10 albums are 1981's 'Working Class Dog' and 1982's 'Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet', releases featuring an energetic sound earning both commercial and critical successes. As an actor, he portrayed the popular Dr. Noah Drake on the daytime drama 'General Hospital' from 1981 to 1983, and he sprang back into the role during 2005 to 2008 and 2012, returning again in 2013 for the show's 50th anniversary with his son (and fellow actor) Liam Springthorpe.
Though having gigantic success in the early to mid-80s, Springfield felt totally exhausted with the pressures of stardom. He would end up devoting more time to his personal and family life, though still releasing albums through the late 80s and onward. In 2010, Springfield published his well-received autobiography, titled 'Late, Late at Night: A Memoir', which detailed these struggles.
Born Richard Lewis Springthorpe, later adopting "Rick Springfield" in his performing days, in South Wentworthville on 23 August 1949, he spent the early part of his life around the western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. The son of Eileen and Norman Springthorpe, the latter a Australian Army career officer, he also has an older brother, Mike Springthorpe. Due to his father's Army career, the Springthorpe family moved to London, England, where they lived between 1960 to 1962. The family moved back to Australia in June 1962, where they settled in the Melbourne suburb of Ormond.
Inspired by the 60s pop rock boom around him, the young Rick Springfield took naturally to singing and songwriting. However, commercial success would come in sudden bursts for him, with the performer facing bouts of 'teen idol' worship (even spending a time doing music for kids as a sort of cartoon Mister Rogers from 1973 to 1975, with those songs put into his 'Mission Magic!' album) that concealed his desire to be taken seriously as a musician. Fully embracing a power pop and new wave sound, as played by contemporaries such as Cheap Trick, The Cars, and others, finally helped him hit the big time in a dramatic way. As well, in October 1984, Springfield married his longtime girlfriend, Barbara Porter, in his family's church in Australia.
When being interviewed about his autobiography, Springfield admitted that he dated while married, and that it was a problem that he has overcome. He mentioned in particular dating Linda Blair, Demi Moore, Connie Hamzy, Morgana Welch, and Geraldine Edwards (the inspiration for Penny Lane in 'Almost Famous'). Though on top of the world for a time, things proved unstable and uncertain. In 1985, when his first son was born and after the release of his 'Tao' album, Springfield took a break from his musical career to spend more time with his family, as stated before. He also resolved to deal with the off-and-on depression that had affected him since his adolescence. Springfield had suffered much in the 70s due to both the serious illness of his father, who died on 24 April 1981, and difficulties dealing with people in the music industry.
Recently, a new feature documentary, titled 'An Affair of the Heart: The Journey of Rick Springfield and his Devoted Fans, was filmed in 2010. The movie started on the film festival circuit in the spring of 2012. The performer's latest work is 2015's 'Stripped Down', a combination of covers, new material, and re-recorded tracks from his past that has attracted some critical praise.
Blue Rose
Rick Springfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With no thorn, AND no THISTLE
Only AN open face
Staring at the waking world
Maybe she's just a morning glory
Lost in a tangle of vine
Maybe she's just a morning glory
Her arms stretch wide
To receive a life
And her ROOTS go deep into the BLACK EARTH for strength
And she blooms and
Maybe she's just a morning glory
Lost in a tangle of vine
Maybe she's just a morning glory
Lost in a tangle of vine
She blooms while the people sleep
Only the TRAVELERS SEE HER
To those who RISE with the noon day Sun
She is a closed mystery
AND Maybe she's just a morning glory
Lost in a tangle of vine
OH, Maybe she's just a morning glory
Lost in a tangle of vine
Lost in a tangle of vine
Lost in a tangle of vine
The lyrics to Rick Springfield's song "Blue Rose" paint a picture of a beautiful and enigmatic flower, perhaps a morning glory, blooming in the early morning hours before the hustle and bustle of the day. The flower is described as being blue, like the crying sky, and without any of the typical thorns or thistles one might associate with a wildflower. Instead, it has an open face, staring out at the world around it as it stretches its arms towards the warming sun. The flower's roots are deep, reaching into the black earth for nourishment and strength as it grows and blooms.
Even though the flower is beautiful and unique, it seems to exist on the periphery of society - only travelers are able to see it in its full glory. Those who rise with the sun and go about their busy day likely overlook it, seeing it as nothing more than a closed mystery. Despite this, the flower persists, blooming day after day even as the world around it moves on. In the end, the lyrics suggest that the little blue flower may just be a morning glory, lost in a tangle of vine, but it's clear that to those who take the time to notice it, it's a thing of beauty.
Overall, the lyrics to "Blue Rose" are a celebration of the simple and overlooked things in life. The morning glory may not be the most impressive flower in the garden, but it's unique and beautiful in its own right. By bringing attention to this little flower, the song reminds us to slow down and appreciate the things around us that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Line by Line Meaning
Blue as the crying sky
The color of this rose is like the sad sky
With no thorn, AND no THISTLE
Unlike most roses, this one has no sharp parts or thorns
Only AN open face
This rose is simple and honest with its wide-open petals
Staring at the waking world
This rose is just like a person who is starting to see the world for the first time
Maybe she's just a morning glory
This rose is just one of many ordinary flowers
Lost in a tangle of vine
This rose is hidden and hard to find among a mess of other plants
Her arms stretch wide
This rose is eager to embrace all that life has to offer
To receive a life
The rose wants to live and thrive
And her ROOTS go deep into the BLACK EARTH for strength
This rose gets its power from being deeply rooted in the earth
And she blooms and
Despite its surroundings, this rose continues to grow and flourish
She blooms while the people sleep
This rose blossoms in silence and without an audience
Only the TRAVELERS SEE HER
The people who take the time to stop and admire this rose are few and far between
To those who RISE with the noon day Sun
To those who are too busy to stop and appreciate natural beauty
She is a closed mystery
This rose remains a mystery to those who do not bother to understand it
OH, Maybe she's just a morning glory
The true nature and beauty of this rose may go unnoticed by most
Lost in a tangle of vine
This rose is hidden and difficult to find among the chaos of nature
Lost in a tangle of vine
The humble beauty of this rose is overshadowed by the surrounding wildness
Contributed by Landon O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Drakesmoma
We are flattered you chose to use our documentary footage to promote Rick's upcoming concert. I am the Executive Producer/Producer of AN AFFAIR OF THE HEART. Please note that footage is courtesy of our independent film company, Yellow Rick Road Productions. Thank you.